Capt. Joe Vinson agreed to share a few fall hotspots that should produce some fish for anglers this month.
Here are his top picks:
• Four Horse Lake at the Cabello Canal
“The water is pretty deep right there, so it’s a great place to toss a soft-plastic lure on a ¼-ounce jighead,” he said. “Just cast and retrieve. Let the bait sink to the bottom and work it back up to you in short hops.
“Or you can fish under a cork with either soft-plastic or live shrimp.”
• Southwest side of Pato Cabello
“I concentrate on the drains and at any points where you find current,” Vinson said. “You can either tight-line plastics or fish live shrimp or plastics under a cork here for both trout and reds.
“Also, Pato is a good place to find birds in the fall. If you see gulls diving, sneak up close and fish under them. The trout you catch in the fall under the birds will likely be keepers.”
• Round Lake at the cut to False River
“This is another deeper-water spot where you can tight-line soft plastics, just slowly working them off the bottom,” he said. “But we mostly fish in here with live shrimp under a cork, and you can actually fish along the whole east side. There are plenty of pockets and coves and cuts and points to keep you in there all day if you’re catching fish.
“And Round Lake is another area where we often find birds working over schools of shrimp and trout. Fishing under the birds is a no-brainer in the fall.”
• Deer Island points in Lake Campo
“This is a good spot for both reds and trout, and it’s another spot where birds are usually active this month,” Vinson said. “I like to fish around the points on a falling tide, and when you get a bite, stick the Power-Pole down and see if you can put some numbers in the boat. Use your trolling motor or drift until you find them.”
• Oak River at Oak River Bay
“This is a great area, as long as you don’t have strong east winds,” he said. “Again, I like to fish points, and I like a falling tide. Look for birds first. If you don’t see birds, then look at points with good water movement and look for any signs of bait in the water.
“Live shrimp under a cork is always the best bait, but soft plastics tight-lined or under a cork will also produce.”
• Points on the north side of Oak River Bay
“These points have been very productive; there’s a lot of oysters on the bottom, and live shrimp under a cork should attract the attention of specks and reds,” Vinson said. “Fish moving water — preferably a falling tide — and look for birds.”